The Sea Of Love
by hug-a-hufflepuff
Summary: A Seamione Fanfic, my favorite pairing! Rated M for future chapters. Hermione is trying to branch out from her small circle of friends and runs into none other than Seamus Finnigan.
1. Chapter 1

That obnoxious, insolent, infuriating boy. Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving her breakfast mostly untouched on her plate. How could she even bother with an appetite when Ronald was being such an idiot? Honestly, there was nothing that irked her more than Ron and his moronic babbling. Hermione stomped and fumed all the way up to the corridor in front of the Gryffindor common room, where she finally stopped to compose herself. Anyone could be sitting on the other side of that portrait, and she didn't like when people saw her acting vulnerable. In fact, she tried not to even cry at school; not that she was an overly emotional person, of course, but once in a while it was nice to have a good cry. The only time she remembered crying in public at school was two years ago, when Ronald had positively ruined the Yule Ball. Of course he had. That boy couldn't just mind his business!

Clenching her hands into fists, Hermione made herself take a few deep breaths, ignoring the Fat Lady's pleas to share whatever was bothering her; she did not need all of Gryffindor knowing that she was angry with Ron. The two of them were already the talk of the school. Mrs. Hermione Weasley, they called her, and it made her sick. Sure, Ronald was her friend, although he annoyed her beyond all belief. She felt no more toward Ronald than she did toward Harry, although according to some people, that relationship wasn't much more innocent. Honestly, it was as if she were some sort of harlot! Hermione had only been in one relationship in all of her five and a half years at Hogwarts, and that was her fleeting romance with the renowned Viktor Krum. Even still, the thought of him caused her to blush and lean against the wall as her legs weakened beneath her. She hadn't heard from him since he'd left Hogwarts, but he would always hold a special place in her heart.

Now that she was smiling about something again, Hermione felt it time to enter the common room. She hoped that everyone was still at breakfast; people seemed to take their time eating on Saturdays, considering that they did not have to get to their lessons.

"Dilligrout," she offered to the Fat Lady, who was now pouting at her lack of gossip; Hermione shot her a warning look.

"_Dilligrout_," she said again, her arms crossed over her chest, and the Fat Lady finally obliged by swinging open.

Before she even entered the common room, Hermione could hear him.

"Bloody hell!" she heard, echoing out into the corridor in that thick Irish accent, followed by a loud crack. Hermione hurried into the common room to find Seamus Finnigan, wand in hand, missing his eyebrows and face covered in soot. She made her way over to him and sat beside him.

"Seamus, are you all right?" she asked, trying to hold back a chuckle. Usually he was fine, and his mishaps did make for a good laugh. Hermione needed a laugh after the morning she'd had.

Seamus offered her a grin, wiping his face off with his shirt sleeve. "I'm fine, Hermione, thanks for askin'," he assured her, putting his wand down on the table gingerly. "Just tryin' to get tha' spell tha' turns vinegar back inta' wine." He shrugged, and Hermione giggled at him.

"How is it that you always manage to blow something up?" she asked, shaking her head gently at him. Her hair swung gently back and forth as she did so; ever since the Yule Ball, she had been taking the time every morning to fix her hair so that it was not the bushy mess that it had once been. Dating Viktor had made her exponentially more conscious of her appearance. Before that, she hadn't even been aware that boys looked at her, and she still wasn't convinced that many did. That theory was proven by the rumours that she and Ronald were meant to be together; what boy would want to infringe on another's territory?

Seamus shrugged a shoulder at her, still grinning. "Don' know, just better at explodin' things than fixin' 'em, I s'pose." He chuckled.

"Well," Hermione said, smiling at him. "I do prefer you with eyebrows, I must say." Seamus wiggled where his eyebrows should have been, causing her to giggle again. "How about this? I need to expand my social circle a little; I've been spending too much time with Harry, and way too much time with Ronald. How about I tutor you? That way I can spend some time with someone other than those two, and you might just learn to keep your eyebrows on your face."

Seamus thought for a moment, and Hermione became nervous that she had overstepped some kind of boundary; after all, she and Seamus didn't know each other all that well. But when his face cracked back into that carefree grin, she couldn't help but smile back at him. There was something about Seamus that warmed a room and made you feel welcome.

"Sure, Hermione, tha' sounds great!" he exclaimed, casting a sideways glance at his wand. "Maybe we should wait a few days, though, let me wand have a rest." Seamus chuckled and ran a hand over his hair, and Hermione nodded.

"We can start on Monday after classes," she suggested. "We, er… we could always use the Room of Requirement, if you wanted some privacy. After all, we can't very well have you causing explosions in the library, and we'll have an awful lot of interference in the common room."

Seamus nodded in agreement. "The Room of Requirement it is," he said. "I'll meet ye there Monday after class!" A quick glance at the clock, and he jumped from his chair. "I've got to go an' meet Dean, but I'll see ye on Monday."

Hermione smiled and nodded, heading up to her dormitory. She had a curriculum to write up.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione stood in the corridor on the seventh floor of the castle, staring at the tapestry of Barnaby the Barmy trying to teach ballet to trolls. It was really a hilarious piece of artwork, but it was not what she should have been concentrating on.

"Focus," she whispered to herself, and closed her eyes tightly. _I need a room to study_, she thought as strongly as she could, pacing in the corridor. Three times, while thinking. _I need a room with plenty of cauldrons, with plenty of supplies. I need goblets, vinegar, wine, books, somewhere comfortable to sit, and some kind of table for a workspace. I need a room for tutoring._

Once she had finished pacing, Hermione opened her eyes, delighted to see that the door had appeared. She grabbed the handle and pulled it open, propping it that way with her foot before scrawling a note on a piece of parchment and dropping it just below the tapestry.

_Seamus-_

_Just think about a room to study, and think about me. You'll find me._

_-Hermione_

And with that, she entered the room. There were shelves around the entire perimeter, save for half of the back wall. The center portion of the wall was a fireplace, wood crackling with orange flames. The shelves around the rest of the room were filled with books and supplies; bottles of liquids, boxes of things, cauldrons, goblets, everything they could ever need. In the center of the room was a large, low wooden table accompanied by an overstuffed red couch. It was perfect.

Hermione sat on the couch, placing her bag on the floor by her feet and unpacking her own supplies; her wand, a few books. She pointed her wand at a few things on the shelves. "Accio vinegar," she muttered, catching the bottle as it sped toward her. "Accio goblet. Accio wine."

Just as she caught the wine bottle, the door swung open and Seamus came walking in, his sleeves rolled up, his tie loose, and the first few buttons of his shirt undone. His hair stuck up in all directions, and a little bit of fuzz was starting to grow back where his eyebrows had been. He looked a mess, and Hermione couldn't help but smile at him. He grinned back at her and walked over, dropping down onto the couch. "Nice work there, Hermione," he offered.

"Thank you, Seamus," she replied a little awkwardly; Hermione hardly knew how to interact with people that weren't Harry and Ron, much less boys who weren't Harry and Ron. She busied herself with arranging their supplies, trying to fend off the awkward silence.

Once everything was set up, Hermione turned to Seamus and smiled. "Er… are you ready to start?" she asked softly, and he nodded.

"I hope I don' blow yer eyebrows off as well, Hermione," he joked, nudging her elbow with his. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at his light-hearted tone and relaxed a little bit.

"Okay. I figured that we would start where you finished off when you blew your own eyebrows off the other day," she offered, still smiling. "Turning vinegar into wine. I also have some wine that you can practice turning into vinegar." Seamus nodded, listening intently.

"Here we go. I'll show you first, and then you can try it. Then I can give you tips on how to do it a little better." Seamus nodded again, watching the goblet as Hermione poured vinegar into it.

Hermione took a breath and pointed her wand at the goblet. She muttered the spell and the vinegar darkened. "And there you are," she announced, grabbing the goblet and showing its contents to Seamus. "Wine!"

Seamus applauded her jokingly, causing Hermione to laugh yet again. Now she was glad that she had branched out from her typical very small circle of friends.

"I don' know how ye do it, Hermione," he said a little more sincerely, looking longingly into the goblet. "Honestly, ye make it look so easy."

Hermione smiled, and with a wave of her wand the wine was turned back into vinegar. "Now you try," she encouraged, sitting back and gesturing toward the goblet.

Seamus grabbed his wand and took a deep breath, and Hermione held hers. She was a little worried that this would not go as planned, but she knew that Seamus needed her confidence, so she smiled brightly at him and patted his shoulder encouragingly.

"Just concentrate," she instructed, and he nodded slowly, gripping his wand in his hand.

Just as Seamus waved his wand toward the goblet, there was a large explosion. The sound was loud and the smoke was plentiful. Hermione began coughing and waving the smoke away from her face, glad that she had sat back from the brunt of the spell. Seamus, however, was not so lucky.

When the smoke cleared, Hermione could see that Seamus had blown off what little fuzz had grown back where his eyebrows should have been, and his face was dripping with vinegar. However, the vinegar had taken on a sickly green colour and was clinging to his skin in an unnatural way. She couldn't help but laugh as she pointed her wand at his face.

"Aguamenti," she said between giggles, and caught some water in her hand, sprinkling it over Seamus' face. The green goo that was once vinegar slid off of his face and onto the floor.

"Thanks, Hermione," he said, shaking his head. "But I'm thinkin' that this tutorin' migh' not be a great idea. I don' think tha' I'm gonna get this anytime soon."

Hermione shook her head. "Nonsense," she assured him, her laughter finally quieting. "But maybe we should start with something a little simpler, and possibly less destructive?"

Seamus smiled. "Tha' would probably help."

Hermione nodded decisively. "Okay, then." She thought for a moment and pulled a few scrolls of parchment out of her bag. "Well, the charm I just used, Aguamenti. How are you with that one?" When Seamus shrugged, seeming embarrassed, Hermione knew that it was something that they could work on.

"It's much easier to grasp than the other one," she said softly. "Honestly, I can probably teach you to do it today with no problem."

Hermione held out her wand. "Aguamenti," she announced forcefully, and a small stream of water appeared to pour from the end of her wand and develop a puddle on the table. "This one is easy, I promise."

Seamus looked at her skeptically, but after a sigh, he held out his wand. Hermione grabbed his hand.

"Like this," she said, positioning his hand in the correct way. Hermione looked at Seamus, whose face had gone the slightest shade of pink. Perhaps the room was warmer than she'd thought that it would be, but wouldn't she have noticed? Dismissing the thought, she watched him hold the wand.

"Now, say it just as I do," she instructed. After taking a deep breath, she confidently said, "Aguamenti."

Seamus took a deep breath. "Aguamenti," he said, his voice shaking, and nothing happened. Well, at least it was preferable to an explosion.

"You must be more confident," Hermione told him. "What makes you feel confident, Seamus?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Quidditch, I guess," he answered, the flush on his cheeks darkening. Hermione grinned.

"Well, imagine you're on a broom while you're doing spells! You have to say it with confidence."

Seamus took another deep breath and looked at his wand, concentrating hard.

"Aguamenti!" he half-shouted, and a stream of water shot out of the end of his wand. Hermione jumped to her feet, applauding his work.

"Seamus, that was brilliant!" she cried, and he stood up also, grinning.

"Thanks a lot, Hermione," he said happily, and she patted him on the back.

"I think that's enough work for today," Hermione announced. "Same time next week?"

Seamus nodded, and they both collected their things. They left the Room of Requirement one after the other, both looking forward to the next lesson that they would have together.


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks passed, with Seamus and Hermione making a lot of progress at each of their tutoring sessions. Seamus was causing less and less explosions. They had even taken to eating lunch together on their tutoring days, so that they could discuss what they wanted to accomplish before they got up to the Room of Requirement. Still, Hermione was shocked when Seamus sat down in front of her one afternoon, his broom over his shoulder.

"Don't we have a lesson this afternoon?" she asked, a little more upset about the fact that he may have something else to do than she'd expected. Hermione had come to look forward to their weekly meetings, and the thought that he had scheduled something else in what she thought of as their time hurt just a little.

Seamus nodded, grinning widely at her. "Ye know we do," he assured her. "Did ye think that I'd miss it? Nah, never. Today's gonna be a bi' different, though, 'Mione." He had taken to giving her a nickname, which she had yet to complain about. Usually, when people called her names, they weren't out of endearment.

Hermione was confused. "What do you mean?" she asked, looking from his face down at the parchment in front of her. She had planned out their whole lesson.

"Today, I get to teach ye somethin' meself," he said decidedly, still grinning. "I'm gonna teach ye how ta' fly."

Hermione's eyes widened before she had even processed what he'd said. "T-teach me how to f-f-fly? Are you mad?"

Seamus simply chuckled. "I though' ye were mad when ye agreed ta' tutor me, an' tha's been working ou' swell! Honestly, 'Mione, let me teach ye something, for cryin' ou' loud."

She shook her head vigorously. "Seamus, I don't think that you understand how awful I am on a broom. Honestly, I can barely stay on, much less fly around!"

He chuckled again. "Will ye please trust me, 'Mione?"

Something about that question and the way that he asked it made her give in. "Okay, Seamus," she said, before she even realized what she was saying.

Before Hermione knew it, she was standing in the center of the Quidditch pitch with Seamus, clutching a broom in her left hand. She was taking shaky deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. What on earth had she agreed to?

"Seamus," she said, louder than she'd meant to. "Seamus." Quieter this time. "If I… if I agree to do this-" Who was she kidding? She'd already agreed! "-you have to agree to let me teach you something more complicated afterward."

Seamus laughed. "Of course ye can, 'Mione. My turn is first, though."

"Hold yer broom like this." Seamus mounted his broom, standing with one leg on either side of it and gripping the end with both hands. Hermione shakily mimicked his stance. "Good. Stay jus' like tha'."

Seamus set his broom on the ground and went to Hermione's side. She could smell the spiciness of his cologne, and it made her a little lightheaded. Odd, she thought, because men's cologne had never had that effect on her before. She shook her head gently. _Focus_.

"Okay, 'Mione. Now. Yer gonna kick off an' hover righ' there." Hermione took a deep breath and gripped the broom, her knuckles turning white with the effort.

"Hermione." She opened her eyes and looked at Seamus, who was giving her a very serious face. "Hermione, trust me. Kick off an' hover righ' where ye are."

Hermione couldn't help but trust him; she'd rarely seen Seamus look so serious, except perhaps when he was focusing on getting a spell right. After another deep breath, she kicked at the ground gently and gasped as she felt the broom rising. She gripped it tightly as Seamus laughed with glee, clapping his hands excitedly.

"Great!" he shouted, placing one hand on the broom as well to steady her. "'Mione, yer doin' it! Yer flyin'." Of course, she wasn't really flying; she was simply hovering far enough off of the ground that her feet could not reach. Still, though, she felt that it was an accomplishment.

"Now, move up a bi'," he instructed, patting her on the back. Surprised, Hermione moved forward on the broom. She was even more surprised when Seamus mounted the same broom behind her.

Hermione felt her cheeks flush red as Seamus wrapped his arms around her, grabbing the handle of the broom as well. "Are ye ready, 'Mione?" he asked softly, grinning that classic Seamus grin. After a quick nod Seamus leaned both of them forward and pulled up on the broom, causing them to soar into the air.

Hermione gasped and then squealed, her initial terror being overcome by a feeling of freedom. As her hair blew back from her face and Seamus moved his hands from behind her own to on top of them, she felt a sense of happiness bubbling up inside her. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time; of course, she enjoyed her life immensely, but between the burden of schoolwork and the stress of being best friend to Harry Potter, her life was rather busy. But, up in the air on this broom with Seamus, it was as if all of her troubles flew from her mind.

Seamus pulled the broom to a stop near the goals, his calloused hands still over Hermione's gently. "Feeling better, 'Mione?" he asked softly, and she nodded.

"This is incredible!" she gasped, looking out over the castle and the forest. You could see everything from up here!

"You're incredible," he murmured, and Hermione barely caught what he'd said. She could feel herself blushing crimson again; perhaps she hadn't heard correctly.

"Now I get to teach you something difficult," she reminded him, and she could practically feel him wince. "Today, we're going to start working on potions."

Seamus shook his head. "I'm no good a' potions, 'Mione," he reminded her, and she nodded. "Bu' maybe we should ge' started then, yeah? Hang on tigh', now."

Seamus controlled the broom, flying them in a few more circles around the pitch before aiming them for the ground, touching down and helping Hermione off of the broom.

"That was great, Seamus, really," she said, still grinning from the rush of being on the broom. "Maybe you could give me another lesson sometime."

Seamus returned her smile. "Fer sure, 'Mione. Bu' fer now, let's ge' to work."


	4. Chapter 4

The two of them made their way up to the Room of Requirement, still giddy from their afternoon flight. Hermione paced in front of the wall and they entered their usual space, the walls filled with more supplies than they would ever need.

Hermione plopped down on the couch. "We're going to work on an Invigoration Draught," she announced, and she could see Seamus looking a little upset.

"'Mione… I dunno 'bout tha' one," he said sheepishly. "I mean, I've had a lot o' trouble in class. Professor Snape thinks I'm a comple'e idiot."

Hermione scowled and shook her head. "Nonsense. You've been doing incredibly well, and there's no reason that you won't do just as well with this. I'll help you, remember?"

Seamus shrugged, and then nodded. Hermione summoned the first ingredients that they needed, as well as a cauldron and some other supplies. "Here we are."

Seamus made his way over and sat next to Hermione, and she found that she had more trouble concentrating on this potion than usual. "Erm… well, first, you're going to want to chop your scurvy-grass, and add two parts of that and three parts of flobberworm mucous."

After the ingredients were beginning to be added, Hermione clapped, pleased. "You're doing so well, Seamus. I'll watch this while you go over and get some lacewing flies to add."

Seamus, encouraged by Hermione's excitement, jumped up and went to examine the shelves to find the ingredient that he needed.

Hermione watched the potion, her face over the cauldron, frowning as it began to bubble a bit more than it should have. Suddenly, it turned a sickly green color, and that was the last thing that she saw.

Seamus heard the explosion and dropped his jar of lacewing flies, glass shards flying everywhere as he ran over to the couch. There lay Hermione, her eyebrows blown off, the ends of her hair singed, her face black with soot, and a little blood coming from one of her ears. She was completely unconscious.

"'Mione?" he muttered, shaking her gently. "Hermione!" Seamus shook her a little harder. There was no response. He knew that he had to act quickly.

Seamus scooped her up in his arms and ran out of the room and down the staircases, hurrying into the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey didn't seem overly busy, but she looked extremely concerned when she saw Hermione. "What happened?" she demanded sternly.

"I… we… 'Mione was tutoring me an' she was watchin' me potion while I was gettin' some more ingredients an' the potion wen' an' exploded in 'er face," he gushed, and Madame Pomfrey had him lay her on one of the beds. She pulled a few curtains around the bed, with Seamus on the outside.

Seamus was truly worried. He didn't know what was going on behind that curtain, what damage he'd done to Hermione, or what Madame Pomfrey would be able to do to help her. He couldn't help but feel guilty about the whole thing.

Professor McGonagall did come to visit a few minutes after Seamus and Hermione had arrived. She pushed her way past Seamus and into the curtained area. The Professor emerged a few moments later, her lips pressed together in a tight line. She patted Seamus on the shoulder and walked out.

Not ten minutes later, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley came running into the Hospital Wing. Ron stopped just inches from Seamus.

"What the bloody hell did you do to her?" he demanded, shouting at the top of his lungs. Ron pushed Seamus on the chest. "You'd better not have hurt her, you idiot!"

Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Ron, calm down," he said, putting himself between the two other boys. Then he turned to Seamus. "How is she? Is she okay?"

Seamus shrugged, looking miserable. "I dunno, Harry, I haven' seen 'er since I brought 'er in." He hung his head. "I didn' mean ta' hurt 'er, y'know. I really didn'. She was only tryin' ta' help me." Seamus ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I jus' want 'er ta' be okay."

Ron scowled. "You'd better hope she is, Finnigan," he shouted, and Harry shot him a look.

"That's not going to help Hermione get better," he reminded Ron, who only scowled again and crossed his arms over his chest.

Finally, after a few hours of silence among the boys, Madame Pomfrey pulled the curtains away, and each of the three boys pulled up a chair. Seamus sat by Hermione's shoulder, directly across the bed from Ron. Harry sat next to Ron, down by her legs. The three of them leaned over her, all concerned about her safety.

"I can't believe you did this to her," Ron muttered, and Harry kicked him in the leg. Seamus was their friend, after all.

"I didn' mean ta do this," Seamus mumbled, brushing some of Hermione's still-soft hair away from her forehead. At least she wasn't bleeding anymore, and Madame Pomfrey had cleaned her up and apparently given her something to help her eyebrows grow back. There was a light fuzz where they had been.

Finally, Harry talked Ron into going to dinner. Seamus refused, not wanting to leave Hermione's side. Once Ron and Harry were gone, he took her hand between both of his and spoke directly to her. "'Mione, I'm so sorry," he muttered. "I didn' mean ta' hurt ye like this… I didn' mean ta' hurt ye at all! You've got ta' wake up from this. Please."

Eventually, long after night fell, Madame Pomfrey came to Seamus and told him that he had to go back to Gryffindor tower. Hermione would have to stay until she awoke, and Seamus didn't want to leave her. Of course, he had no choice, and he made his way to the tower as slowly as he could.

Days passed, and Seamus visited Hermione for as many hours as he could every day. Of course, so did Ron and Harry, but they also had to practice for Quidditch and other things. Seamus had a lot more free time than the two of them did, so he did get some time in the Hospital Wing without Ron glaring at him from the other side of the bed that Hermione slept on.

Finally, after a full week of waiting, Hermione began to stir. Seamus, Ron, and Harry had been sitting with her for hours when her eyes fluttered open and she took in the three of them hovering around her.

"What… what happened?" she asked weakly, and Ron chimed in.

"Seamus tried to blow you up, that's what bloody happened!" His anger had not subsided in the slightest, although he was thrilled to see Hermione alive. He took her hand, and she smiled gently at him.

Seamus felt a pull at his heart- why did it pain him so much to see Ron holding hands with Hermione?

"'Mione, it was an acciden'," he assured her, and she pulled her hand free from Ron's and turned to Seamus.

"I know, Seamus, I know that you would never hurt me on purpose. I don't blame you at all." It was beginning to come back to her. "The potion… I shouldn't have started potions with something so complicated, and… I did have my face just over the cauldron. I'm so sorry that I put you in that situation." Something about how concerned Seamus looked gave Hermione an odd feeling; of course, Ronald and Harry had been just as worried about her before, but she had never been so happy to know that one person cared so much. What was it about Seamus that made her feel that way?

Ron scowled. "Well, Hermione, Harry and I are here for you. What do you need?"

Hermione shrugged. "Rest, I suppose," she answered with a yawn. "I know I just woke up, but… I'm awfully tired. Ron, Harry, why don't you go up to bed? Seamus can stay with me until I'm asleep, so I'm not lonely."

Ron positively fumed at that suggestion and opened his mouth to object, but Harry grabbed his elbow and half-dragged him out of the Hospital Wing.

Seamus still looked incredibly guilty. "'Mione, I was terrified tha' ye weren' goin' ta wake up," he admitted sheepishly, wanting to take her hand like Ron had. He needed comfort from her just as much as he knew she needed it from him.

"Seamus, please don't blame yourself," she begged. "It's unfortunate that I got hurt, but you're not to blame. Both of us had a hand in what happened, but I'm going to be just fine." Hermione reached out and took his hand, and both of their eyes widened at what seemed like an electric current.

Seamus squeezed her hand gently. "I'm jus' so glad yer awake," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"I'm glad, too." Hermione smiled sweetly at him. "What's going on with you and Ron, though?"

Seamus shrugged. "He was really angry when he heard tha' ye were here," he told her. "An' he was furious at me. I dunno why, I didn' do it on purpose. I didn' want ta hurt ye, 'Mione. He was really upset, though."

Hermione frowned. "That's not really like him," she said. "I don't know, he can be hotheaded sometimes, though." Why would Ronald be so upset with Seamus? It wasn't as if he'd killed her or anything, she was fine.

Seamus shrugged again. "I'm not worried 'bout him," he admitted. "Jus' 'bout you." He grinned, and Hermione returned the smile, still holding his hand. A yawn escaped her right at that moment.

"You should go up to bed, I'm about to fall asleep," she offered, sliding down under the covers a little bit more. Still, Seamus held onto her hand.

"I'll stay righ' here 'til ye fall asleep," he assured her, and Hermione couldn't help but smile. Something about his presence made her feel safer, like she'd felt safe up on that broom with him. Within a few minutes, though, she was asleep, and Seamus retreated to Gryffindor Tower, glad that Hermione was going to be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I know I haven't done a note before, but I felt that this was the time. I really appreciate all of the positive feedback I've been receiving for this story. Seamus and Hermione are one of my favorite crackships, and I'm glad that so many of you agree! This chapter was really fun to write, and I really hope that you guys enjoy it. **

When Seamus came to the Great Hall for lunch the next day, he was a little shocked to see Hermione sitting with Ron and Harry. After all, it was their day for tutoring, and they usually ate lunch together. Still, it was her first day out of the Hospital Wing, so he simply walked over and sat down next to her, directly across from Harry. "Afternoon," he greeted everyone, and began filling his plate. Ron narrowed his eyes, but Harry and Hermione looked pleased to see him.

Hermione smiled at Seamus. "Ready for our tutoring session today?" she asked, still a little weak-sounding. "I thought we'd start with something a little gentler, like more charms."

Seamus grinned. "O' course, 'Mione," he agreed. Starting with something gentler comforted him and assured him that he would more than likely not be hurting Hermione again. Ron, obviously, felt differently, as Seamus could tell by the glare he was receiving.

"You're still going to tutor him?" Ron asked, an edge in his voice as he turned to Hermione. "He's already almost killed you once! I can't believe you're doing this."

Hermione frowned. Why was she still helping Seamus? After all, she had been unconscious for a week after their last session. He hadn't done it on purpose, of course, but for a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if she was putting herself in danger. After all, Ron seemed really worried. She bit her lip.

Seamus frowned as well. "'Mione, are ye okay?" he asked gently, putting his hand over hers. He saw Ron's anger flare at the contact, but he didn't care. He could only feel the nerve endings in his hand tingling, and he curled his whole hand around Hermione's.

Hermione managed a smile and nodded weakly, looking directly at Seamus. "Yeah, Seamus, I'm okay," she answered, ignoring Ron's anger.

Ron decided that he wouldn't be ignored any longer and jumped up, pounding his fist on the table. "No! Hermione, I'm not going to let you do this. You're going to get hurt!"

Hermione stood as well. "You won't tell me how to conduct my life, Ronald!" she shouted back. "I'll do what I please. You aren't in control of my life!" Hermione gathered her things and turned to Seamus. "Are you ready, Seamus?" she asked, still flustered.

Seamus nodded, quickly gathering his things and avoiding Harry and Ron's eyes. He followed Hermione out of the Great Hall, both of them walking swiftly until they had ascended the first staircase. As it began to move, Hermione's anger ebbed and faded into sadness.

Seamus took her arm. "'Mione, it's okay," he assured her. "You an' Ron figh' all the time, you'll be fine."

Hermione shrugged and they continued on up to the seventh floor corridor. Hermione walked back and forth a few times until a door appeared, and she pulled it open.

This time, the room was different.

There was still a fireplace, and an overstuffed sofa. Now, however, the sofa was close to the fireplace, facing the fire. The room was significantly smaller, and was nicely decorated. There was still a bookshelf, albeit a much smaller one, that held no supplies but a few textbooks.

Hermione sighed. "I must have been distracted," she said, biting her lip. Seamus put an arm around her shoulders.

"It's okay, 'Mione," he said gently, leading her toward the couch. "I s'pose ye didn' want a place ta study today." Seamus sat down, putting his things on the floor, and took Hermione's bag. He set that on the floor, as well, and patted the couch next to him.

Hermione sank down onto the couch and promptly began to cry. She was so overwhelmed by Ron's outbursts, by being in the Hospital Wing, by these new feelings for Seamus, by everything; it was all becoming too much.

Seamus simply swung a leg up onto the couch and reached out, pulling Hermione against his chest. His whole body tingled at the contact, and he stroked her hair gently as she cried. "'Mione, shh, it's okay," he murmured. "Tell me wha's wrong."

Hermione leaned back against Seamus, letting the steady rhythm of his breath soothe her. "I just… I don't understand what's going on with Ron. We've been best friends since first year, but this year he's just been… different." She sighed, wiping some of the tears away and resting her head on his shoulder. "It's so hard. I mean, he's one of my closest friends. Maybe it's because I haven't been spending as much time with him and Harry as I used to." She shrugged a shoulder. "They can't be mad that I'm branching out, right? I'm allowed to talk to other people."

Seamus nodded, still stroking her hair and waiting for the moment when she would push him away. Still, he was going to hold her like this as long as she let him, and he was going to enjoy every moment of it. His heart was pounding in his chest and he was sure that she could feel it, which only made him more nervous.

Hermione smiled a bit to herself when she felt his heart pounding against his chest; she was only glad that Seamus couldn't tell how hard her heart was pounding, too. Something about him made her feel so safe and yet so nervous at the same time. Still, he had managed to comfort her and make her feel better about the whole situation with Ron, and that was something.

"I've really been enjoying the time we're spending together, Seamus," Hermione admitted quietly, glad that she was leaning back against him and didn't have to look him in the eyes. She had never been in this situation before; Viktor had actively pursued her, and they had barely known each other. Seamus was someone who she had known since her first year at Hogwarts, and he was just as shy as she was, apparently.

Seamus smiled. "Me too, 'Mione," he said softly, still running his hands through her hair. It was silky and soft, and he couldn't get enough of the feeling of having her so close. "I've been enjoyin' i' more than ye can imagine."

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she felt her cheeks go pink. How had she never noticed just how adorable that Irish accent was? She snuggled against his chest and felt him tense up for a moment before relaxing again.

They lay there like that for a few moments, just enjoying the peace and the silence.

"'Mione," Seamus finally said, breaking the silence. If it hadn't been completely quiet in the room, she probably wouldn't have heard him say her name so softly. "Com'ere for a minute."

Hermione sat up and turned to face Seamus, instantly missing the contact between them. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and worried it gently, scooting closer to him until their faces were only inches apart.

"I know tha' I just abou' killed ye the last time we had a lesson," he began, avoiding her gaze. "An' I know tha' I'm not the smartest bloke around, and I know tha' we haven't been knowin' each other very well all tha' long, an'…" he trailed off, catching Hermione's gaze.

"And what?" she whispered, releasing her lip from her teeth.

Seamus had run out of words to say, but he couldn't just sit there. He needed to touch her, and soon he found his right hand caressing the side of her face. Hermione leaned into his touch and for a moment, they simply looked into each others' eyes, letting the tension between them reach its breaking point, seeing who would be the first to give in.

Of course, it was Seamus. Finally, his resolve disintegrated and his willpower shattered. It was as if everything moved in slow motion as he pulled Hermione's face toward him, leaning forward until there was no space between them. Each of them felt their eyelids flutter closed as Seamus crushed his lips against Hermione's, an electric current running between them.

Hermione could have sworn that she saw fireworks erupting behind her eyelids. As soon as she felt Seamus' mouth on her own she pulled herself closer, sitting between his legs with her hands on his chest. His other hand went to the left side of her face as the kiss became sweeter, less urgent.

Hermione's heart fluttered in her chest as she allowed Seamus to elicit every sweet emotion deep inside of her. This was so different from kissing Viktor. Viktor had been a rough kisser, his hands roaming her body. She remembered kissing Viktor as a haze of strong cologne, her chin being rubbed raw by his facial hair, the pressure to perform. Kissing Seamus was a whole new experience. It was sweet, it was gentle, and it was one of the most beautiful things that Hermione had ever experienced.

Finally, because both of them needed to breathe, they broke apart. Hermione looked at Seamus with wide eyes, surprised to find that he had a similar expression on his own face.

"'Mione, I-" he began, but he was cut off by Hermione abruptly standing.

"I should go," she said curtly, the expression on her face indecipherable to Seamus. "I, um, I'll see you around the common room."

Hermione quickly gathered her things from where they lay on the floor and left the room at a swift pace, not stopping until she was inside of her dormitory.

Seamus sat in stunned silence for a few minutes before slowly gathering his own belongings and walking back to Gryffindor Tower, his head hung. How could he be such a fool to kiss Hermione Granger? He should have known better.

Seamus made his way up to his dormitory and flopped onto the bed, prepared to replay the most magical and humiliating moment of his life over and over in his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a bit, I've been super busy. I'm making this fic a definite priority, though, so expect more updates more frequently! Besides, I can't leave the story like this for too long, it's driving me a little nuts. Enjoy!**

Hermione woke the next morning feeling like she was floating. Then, suddenly, she remembered that she had run out after Seamus had kissed her, and she felt a weight settle on her chest. Of course, the kiss had been what she wanted. Hadn't it? She had never been more confused and utterly clueless in her entire life. Feelings were supposed to be easy, black and white. Either you want something or you don't. Either you enjoyed something or you didn't. Either you were happy or you were sad. There wasn't supposed to be any grey areas, any in-between. But that's where she was.

The next obstacle facing Hermione was breakfast. How could she go down there and sit next to Seamus at the table, pretending that nothing happened? Something _had _happened, but she wasn't ready to deal with it just yet. She decided that she would simply skip breakfast, spending some time in the common room, trying to decipher her own emotions.

Hermione dressed simply; there were no classes today, and so her uniform was unnecessary. She tugged on her favorite pair of old jeans, the denim remembering just how to hug her body comfortably. She also wore a soft black tee shirt that was a bit oversized, and a pair of white crocheted ballet flats. Hermione charmed her hair expertly to fall in soft curls down over her shoulders.

Taking a book, the girl made her way down to the common room, relieved to find that it was empty. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace, which Hermione was glad for. It was a bit chilly, after all. She curled up in one of the larger armchairs by the fireplace, opening her book and beginning to read.

It was a shame, really, because none of the words were registering with her in the slightest. Hermione's mind was still spinning with images of the previous night, with trying to figure out how she felt. She slammed her book shut forcefully and looked up to see a pair of blue eyes staring into her own. For a split second, she thought that it was Seamus, but then she blinked and saw the fiery hair framing the freckled face.

"Ron," she breathed, placing a hand on her chest. "You startled me."

Ron simply frowned at her. "Did you really kiss Seamus?" he asked bluntly, and Hermione was shocked.

"He told you?" she asked, clearly a bit hurt. Hermione couldn't believe it; she'd thought that they were close, and now here he was telling the whole castle that they'd kissed when he hadn't even talked to her about it yet!

Ron took that as the answer he needed and knelt in front of Hermione's chair, brows furrowed. "I dunno what you see in him, Hermione. Why didn't you tell me you'd kissed him?"

Hermione sighed. "Because it just happened last night, and I didn't want to face him at breakfast," she answered honestly, wrapping a strand of her hair around her index finger. She bit her lip. "I just… it just happened. I don't even really know how it happened, and I hadn't decided how I felt about it yet, but if he's off telling everyone…" she trailed off. "I don't know."

Ron shook his head a bit. "He told Harry and I because we knew something was up with him," he assured her. "But I'm sure half the table heard. He wasn't exactly subtle about it, y'know."

Hermione shook her head, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her forehead on them. "I can't believe I did it," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut and wrapping her arms around her legs so that she was curled in on herself. "You were right, Ron, you said I was going to get hurt, and I did."

Ron couldn't stand to see her so upset. He took her hand and tugged it gently, causing her to unravel herself and slide onto the floor. He pulled her into his lap just as the tears started to fall from her eyes, and she tucked her face into Ron's shoulder. He held her as she cried.

Hermione couldn't believe that she was crying in front of two different boys within twelve hours of each other, but this was different than being held by Seamus. When Seamus had held her, she'd felt nervous and a bit uncomfortable, although sort of safe. There was no question about how safe and comfortable she felt in Ron's arms. She knew that she could sit there forever and he would protect her from everything in the world.

Ron had his arms wrapped around Hermione possessively, rocking back and forth with her gently until her sobs quieted and her tears stopped flowing. There was a large wet spot from her tears on his shoulder, but he didn't care.

"Hermione, you shouldn't let someone hurt you like that," he said gently. "Why would you want to spend time with someone who makes you so upset?"

Hermione laughed, the sound muffled by Ron's shirt. "You upset me all the time," she reminded him, and he frowned.

"Well, at least I don't know I'm doing it," he reminded her, and she giggled again, looking up at him with red, puffy eyes.

"You're right, Ron," Hermione agreed, not making to disentangle herself from his arms. He leaned down and brushed his freckled nose against hers, and she found herself smiling at the contact. Was this why everyone expected the two of them to be dating? Was this what everyone saw when they looked at Hermione with Ron?

Before she knew what she was doing, Hermione had tilted her head up and was kissing Ron softly. He didn't refuse the contact; instead, he buried a hand in her hair and returned the kiss. There was nothing urgent or desperate about this kiss. It made her feel warm and safe, like nothing in the world would ever go wrong again.

Ron broke the kiss first, keeping their faces close together. "Go on a proper date with me, Hermione," he breathed, and she found herself nodding. Maybe some alone time with Ron was what she really needed to clear her head.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione had no idea what she was doing. She was getting ready for her date with Ronald Weasley, but she had no idea how she'd gotten here. Of course, she had thought that she would be going on a date with Seamus long before she'd be going with Ron, but… something about this felt sort of right. Hermione wore a royal purple dress that floated down to her knees with a little cap sleeve and a modest v-neck. She wore a pair of charcoal grey tights and a pair of sensible but pretty pointy-toed mary janes; after all, it was snowing outside, and she didn't want to fall over on her date. Because it was so cold, Hermione threw an olive trench coat over her dress. She pulled a white crocheted beret over her glossy hair and wrapped a matching scarf around her neck. Hermione threw her wand, a few books, and a sack of galleons into her bag and threw it over one shoulder, not bothering to check her makeup in the mirror. After all, it was just Ron.

Hermione couldn't hide the smile on her face as she trotted down the stairs to the common room, ready to meet Ron down in the Great Hall for the Hogsmeade trip- when she ran smack into Seamus Finnigan.

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening as she gasped. "Seamus, I didn't see you there," she breathed, and he simply looked at her, frowning, his brows furrowed.

"'Mione," he said softly. "Where've ye been? Have ye been avoidin' me?"

Hermione could see that he was upset, but she hardened herself against his emotions. After all, he'd told half of Gryffindor that they'd kissed before they'd even talked about it!

"I have to go," she said curtly, dodging past him. "I've got a date with Ron." And with that, Hermione flounced right out of the common room.

Seamus shuffled toward the couch by the fire and collapsed onto it. It felt as though his heart had been torn from his chest, and he couldn't even breathe; Hermione was going on a date with Ron? It was more than he could take. The morning after he'd kissed her he'd sat at the breakfast table, waiting for her, until finally Harry and Ron came down without her.

He'd asked where she was and they didn't know, and that was when Seamus knew that she was avoiding him. It had really upset him; after all, she had seemed okay with the kiss, but obviously she wasn't happy with him. She'd been avoiding him. Apparently things hadn't been as good for her as they had been for him.

Seamus buried his face in his hands and rubbed his temples in frustration. Now he didn't know what he was going to do.

Hermione trotted down the stairs, her brows knotted together until that familiar ginger mop came into sight. She couldn't help but smile as he turned his freckled face up toward hers, a silly grin of his own gracing his features.

"Hermione," he breathed, simply staring as she approached him. She found herself blushing pink at his reaction to her.

"Oh, honestly, Ronald, you've seen me in Muggle clothes before," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand, but she couldn't hide her flattered smile.

Ron nodded. "I have. But, er, you look really nice, Hermione," he assured her, and offered her his arm as the other students began to head for the village. "Shall we?"

Hermione hesitated for only a moment, seeing Seamus in her mind with that hurt look on his face, but she pushed the thought away and smiled. "We shall," she agreed, taking Ron's arm and following him.

Snow was falling softly as the pair arrived in Hogsmeade village, the cold biting at Hermione's nose. She adored winter, and snow was one of her favorite things. It was truly beautiful.

"So, er, where do you want to go first?" Ron asked her, pulling her from her thoughts. Hermione thought for just a moment.

"Well, I would like to get a few things at Honeydukes," she decided thoughtfully. "And I could always spend some time in Scrivenshaft's. I've only got a few quills left." Hermione smiled up at him. "And perhaps we could have some tea?"

Ron blushed a little; there was only one place that a girl would want to have tea in Hogsmeade, and that was Madam Puddifoot's. Of course, they were here on a date, and he realized that it was only fitting that they have tea in the lace-draped little shop, and perhaps more fitting that they were seen there together. He could only hope that word would get back to Seamus; he deserved to know what he'd given up.

"That sounds like a plan," Ron agreed with a slight nod, steering Hermione in the direction of Scrivenshaft's. He placed his hand over hers where it rested on his arm as they walked.

Hermione could have spent hours inside of Scrivenshaft's. Not only were there vials of ink in every colour of the rainbow, including vials that contained multiple colours, changing colours, and invisible ink, but there were quills of all kinds. Extra large quills, miniature quills, quills that shouted the words aloud as you wrote them, and even a student version of a Quick-Quotes Quill that wrote more accurately filled the shop.

Once Hermione had chosen and purchased a few new vials of ink and a few new beautiful quills, she and Ron ventured back out into the snow, with Ron carrying her bag in his free hand.

"Honeydukes next?" Hermione suggested, and Ron nodded.

"Now, I could spend days inside of Honeydukes," he assured her, and Hermione giggled. Ron was known for his love of food, and especially sweets. The two wandered around the shop, and Hermione even picked up a few things. Between them they had a bag filled with chocolate frogs, every-flavor beans, sugar quills, pixie puffs, acid pops, and fizzing whizzbees. Hermione almost helped herself to a sugar quill, but the day was half over and she wanted to go to tea.

Without asking, Ron led her toward the garish, frilly, pink tea shop. As they entered, a little bell tinkled softly to alert the other occupants of their presence. The two of them quickly claimed a table near the back of the shop, both flushing pink.

Ron pulled out Hermione's chair for her and set their bags on the ground before sitting across from her himself. For a moment, the two looked at each other awkwardly before they burst out laughing.

"Oh, Ron, let's get out of here and go to the Three Broomsticks," Hermione managed, choking her words out between her laughter. Ron simply nodded, still chortling, as he grabbed their bags and Hermione's hand. They exited the shop as quickly as they could, hurrying to their usual haunt and grabbing a table.

"Two butterbeers," Ron called to Madam Rosmerta, who nodded in their direction and swiftly delivered their drinks. Both of them sipped at the warm, foaming beverages, relaxing slightly in a more familiar environment.

Hermione giggled, wiping foam from her upper lip. "Much better," she observed, and Ron nodded. They were both glad to be out of the frilly tea shop.

"Hermione," Ron began, relaxing into his seat a bit and leaning on the table. Hermione leaned her elbows on the table, as well, getting closer so that they could hear each other over the dull roar that filled the pub. After all, this place was popular. "Hermione, I'm really glad that you said yes to coming on this date with me," he murmured, so quietly that she could barely hear him.

Hermione couldn't help but smile a bit at the reddish colour that took over him, all the way to his ears and forehead. He was blushing like mad. "Ron, I think that we both knew that it was just a matter of time," she admitted. It was true; hadn't everyone been saying this would happen for ages?

Ron simply shot her a giddy smile and then leaned in abruptly, kissing her full on the mouth right in the middle of the pub. Hermione let her eyes flutter closed; after all, who would be watching them? Most of the patrons of the Three Broomsticks were quite jovially drunk and interested in their own matters.

For a moment, just a moment, Hermione allowed herself to enjoy the kiss. After all, Ron obviously admired her, and it made her feel good about herself. As she opened her eyes to smile at him, Hermione caught the gaze of one Seamus Finnigan. In that moment, she was horrified; he looked as though his heart had been torn out and thrown to the floor. The miserable hurt in his eyes was enough to break Hermione's own heart, but she didn't move. Ron simply turned and sneered at the other boy.

"Something to say, Finnigan?" he spat, and Seamus simply shook his head. He turned on one heel, and, hanging his head, slunk out of the pub. Ron turned back to Hermione, smirking. "Got rid of him, didn't I?"

Hermione could only nod hollowly; seeing that look on Seamus' face had rattled her. She had thought that he didn't care about her, but then why was he so devastated to see her kissing Ron? Even Hermione had to admit that her kiss with Ron wasn't the same as kissing Seamus.

Hermione pushed her butterbeer away. "I think I'm ready to go back to the castle now," she muttered, looking down at her hands on the table. Ron was confused.

"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked, but she simply gave him that same hollow nod and kept her eyes trained down. Ron heaved a sigh and then gathered their bags, leading Hermione by the elbow back to the castle.


	8. Chapter 8

**Short chapter this time, guys, sorry! I just had to bang this out because I couldn't leave things the way they were! The next chapter will be a nice long one, I promise!**

It had been days since Hermione had seen Seamus at the Three Broomsticks, and he seemed to have disappeared. She didn't see him in the Great Hall at meals, she didn't see him in class, and she certainly hadn't seen him anywhere else. Hermione had been distracting herself by spending more time with Ron, who now insisted on holding her hand, carrying her books, and holding doors open for her. It was sweet, but she couldn't bring herself to feel happy about the situation.

Hermione wished that she could have started falling for Ron, but it just wouldn't happen. Every time Ron laced their fingers together or said something sweet or tucked her hair behind her ear, her heart ached for Seamus. She couldn't get him out of her head. Hermione knew that she had to fix this.

Seamus had been getting to classes early and leaving late, sitting in the back of the room. He'd been sneaking food from the kitchens so that he didn't have to go to meals in the Great Hall. He avoided the common room at all costs, spending all of his free time holed up in his dormitory. Ron was always giving him dirty looks and even Harry and Dean had given up trying to talk to him. All Seamus really did was sulk.

Finally, though, Monday rolled around. Had it really only been a week since he'd kissed Hermione? It seemed like it had been months, years even. Seamus knew that he needed to fix this situation; he couldn't live the rest of his life like this. He longed to be near her, but he at least needed closure on the whole thing. There was only one place where Seamus knew he could find Hermione without Ron following her around like a lost puppy.

The entire thing with Ron and Hermione made Seamus nauseous. Honestly, how was it that she had gone running into his arms so soon, without even talking to him? Seamus couldn't help but remember walking into the Three Broomsticks and seeing the two of them kissing. It was as if his heart had been torn from his chest and thrown to the floor. He clutched his chest as a new wave of pain overcame him; when had he begun to care so much about Hermione?

Seamus knew what he had to do. He made his way up to the seventh floor corridor and began to pace back and forth, thinking of Hermione. Suddenly, the door appeared, and he grasped the handle while taking a deep breath.

Seamus tugged the door open.

There Hermione sat. She was wearing a pair of tight, dark jeans and a soft red blouse. Her feet were bare and her legs were crossed, her nose buried in a book as her glossy curls hung around her head. If she'd heard Seamus come in she didn't show it; Hermione simply turned a page in her book and continued to read.

The room was rather like it did the last time the two of them had been in here, and Seamus bit his lip as he stepped forward. "'Mione," he muttered, surprised to find the hurt so evident in his voice.

Hermione hadn't even noticed that Seamus had entered until she heard her name. The hurt in his voice completely melted her resolve to stay angry with him and she tucked a bookmark into her book, setting it on the floor. Hermione looked up to see Seamus approaching her, but she didn't move another muscle even as he sat next to her on the sofa.

"'Mione, I'm so sorry," he groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I know tha' I should have talked t' ye after… well, y'know, bu' I was nervous an' ye weren't at breakfast an' Harry an' Ron were askin' questions an' I didn' know wha' t' do." Seamus was talking fast, but Hermione didn't interrupt him.

"An' then ye were avoidin' me an' I didn' know why, an' then ye said ye were goin' on a date with Ron, an' then I saw ye kissin' him…" Seamus couldn't say any more. His heart ached and he needed Hermione to say something. Anything.

After a few moments of silence, she obliged. "Seamus," she said, her voice soft and a bit hollow. Still, she'd said his name, and it was a start. "Seamus, I should have come to breakfast that morning," she admitted. "I shouldn't have run out on you that night, and I should have found you the next morning. But Ron came and found me and said you'd been telling the whole house that we'd been snogging, and I was so hurt that you would do something like that."

Seamus went to protest, but Hermione held up her hand, and he bit his tongue. "And then Ron was there for me. He was so sweet and he understood why I was upset, and I kissed him." Hermione had to look away; the fresh pain in Seamus' eyes was too much. "And he asked me to go on a proper date with him, and I said yes.

"But then you showed up at the Three Broomsticks and I knew that I missed you, Seamus, and that Ron doesn't make me feel the same way that you do. He's been following me around for days, but I can't bring myself to be with him."

Hermione reached over and placed a hand on Seamus' shoulder, looking him in the eyes. "That's why I came here. I was hoping you'd show up, too."

Seamus managed a small half-smile, which Hermione returned. "I'm glad you're here, Seamus."

"Me too, 'Mione," he assured her. "I never wanted t' hurt ye, I promise." Seamus reached over and ran a hand through her hair, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear. His heart was pounding from being so close to her again. This was his second chance, and he wasn't going to screw it up this time.

Hermione could feel her heart pounding as well, and her cheeks flushed pink. Ron had always made her feel safe and comfortable, but he didn't make her heart flutter this way. He didn't give her butterflies. Only Seamus could do that, and in that moment, Hermione knew what she really wanted.

After a single moment of silence with the two of them looking at each other, Hermione let out a groan and crashed her mouth against Seamus' own. He returned the surprised sound and buried his hands in her hair, cradling her head as he kissed her fervently. There was nothing to be shy about anymore; obviously she wanted to be with him just as much as he wanted to be with her.

Seamus used his tongue to gently part her lips, which she allowed. Their tongues fought and danced together feverishly and Hermione placed her hands on Seamus' chest, gripping his shirt in her slender fingers. Seamus allowed one hand to slide down her back, pulling her closer to him.

Hermione took the initiative and climbed onto his lap, straddling his thighs as they continued to kiss. Their tongues continued to battle with fervor as Hermione knotted her hands in his hair and he pressed her body against his.

After a few more minutes they broke apart, panting.

"'Mione," Seamus breathed, rubbing his nose against hers. "'Mione, please let me take ye on a proper date." He smiled sheepishly. "After all, Ron got t' take ye on a date, don' I get a chance, too?"

Hermione giggled and then nodded. "Of course, Seamus." Then her face hardened a bit. "We've got to tell Ron first, though."

Seamus swallowed thickly at the thought. "Okay, 'Mione," he murmured. "Can we tell 'im together? I dunno if I can face him on me own, y'know."

Hermione nodded. "Of course. He deserves to hear it from us, though, instead of through rumours." She steadily climbed off of Seamus, standing in front of him and offering her hand. Seamus grabbed it and laced their fingers together, standing as well.

"Well, I s'pose we should go an' find 'im," he said uneasily, and Hermione nodded.

"Let's go."


	9. Chapter 9

Seamus and Hermione were both nervous as they left the Room of Requirement. Confronting Ron wasn't going to be easy, and each was glad that the other would be there when he found out. It would be a little easier that way.

It was rather late, and so there was really only one place that Ron could be. The pair entered the common room, but not before Hermione tugged her hand away from Seamus' and let it rest by her side. He deserved to hear it, not see it.

There he sat, in front of the fire, next to Harry. Harry saw them first and waved, beaming. Ron looked up as well, smiling when he saw Hermione. His face changed to confused and then a little crestfallen as he saw Seamus enter directly after her.

"Ron, we've got to talk to you," Hermione said gently, biting her lip. He furrowed his brows at her. Harry didn't move, but he smirked a bit toward Seamus; he obviously knew what was going on. Seamus looked at Harry, who gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head. He approved; that was a relief. At least one of Hermione's two closest friends was on his side.

"Ron, Seamus and I…" Hermione trailed off. "Seamus and I are going to try this." She sighed. "I'm going to let him take me on date. The date that we went on was very sweet, Ron, but… you're just a friend to me. One of my very best friends, and I don't want to lose you."

"Ditto, mate," Seamus muttered.

Ron simply looked between them for a moment and then sighed. "I guess there's not much I can do," he conceded. "Seamus, just… treat her right, okay? And Hermione… I don't want to lose you as a friend, either." He managed a smile at them, and Hermione leaned down to kiss Ron on the cheek.

"Thank you, Ron," she murmured, and he hugged her briefly. Harry grinned widely.

"Well, congratulations," he offered to Seamus, before crossing his arms. "But I see Hermione as a sister, so if you hurt her, you'll have me to answer to." A glint in his eye showed that he was saying this lightheartedly, although he was also serious. "Ron and Ginny probably won't be thrilled, either, if you hurt her. Be careful, Finnigan."

Seamus grinned. "Will do, 'arry," he agreed.

"Well, it's late," Harry announced, stretching dramatically and casting a pointed look at Ron, who yawned obligingly. "We'll be off to bed, then, won't we, Ron?"

Ron nodded, smiling sadly at Hermione before following Harry up the stairs to their dormitory, leaving Seamus and Hermione alone in the common room.

"Well, that went… better than expected," Hermione observed with a sigh of relief. She had been expecting a full-on Ronald Weasley tantrum, but he'd handled the situation rather maturely.

Seamus grinned, stepping forward and pulling Hermione into his arms as they stood in front of the fire. "Thanks, 'Mione," he murmured into her hair, and she smiled, wrapping her arms around him, as well.

"For what?" she asked.

Seamus chuckled. "For helpin' me tell Ron 'bout us. Y'know, well, for doin' it yourself, actually." He shrugged a shoulder. Something told him that things would have gone rather differently if he had been the one to announce the news.

Hermione giggled, resting her cheek against Seamus' chest. They held each other like that for a moment before breaking apart.

"I should get some sleep, Seamus," Hermione suggested, and he nodded his assent.

"Me, too," he agreed. Seamus took Hermione's chin between his thumb and forefinger and kissed her chastely. "Nigh', 'Mione."

"Goodnight, Seamus," she whispered, before turning and making her way up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

Seamus stood at the bottom of the steps for a moment, a silly grin on his face. Now, all he had to do was impress her with a proper first date. He set off to start planning what he was going to do.


	10. Chapter 10

Seamus had yet to figure out what kind of date to take Hermione on. He'd come up with endless ideas, but he really wanted to amaze her. This was their first proper date, after all, and it had to be something that would really sweep her off of her feet.

It was a huge relief when Headmaster Dumbledore announced that there would be an Autumn Ball taking place at Hogwarts. Taking Hermione to a dance would be absolutely perfect; they could get dressed up and he could show her off in front of the whole school. Now, he just had to come up with a good way to ask her.

Hermione was a little disappointed when Seamus didn't ask her to the dance on the spot. He looked a little spacey, though, so she assumed that he hadn't heard and went back to her pudding. She began to think about what she was going to wear to such a formal occasion; after all, the dress that she'd worn to the Yule Ball two years prior was much too small now.

Maybe she could talk to Ginny; although the two didn't spend tons of time together, they were like the sisters that the other had always wanted. They didn't often indulge in girly things, but this would be a lot of fun.

A few days later, after figuring that she really couldn't decide what she was going to wear on her own, Hermione stood from her place at the breakfast table, approaching Ginny and tapping her on the shoulder. Ginny was sitting with Neville, having a very animated conversation about something, but she turned and grinned when she saw Hermione.

"Ginny!" Hermione greeted, smiling. "I was thinking that you and I could get together and figure out what to wear to the ball," she suggested, and Ginny's grin widened.

"That sounds really fun, Hermione," Ginny agreed. "I'm free tomorrow night, will that do?"

Hermione nodded. "I'll meet you in the common room after classes," she offered, and Ginny clapped her hands excitedly.

"I'll see you then!"

Hermione waved at her friend and turned, walking out of the Great Hall. If she was going to spend an entire night doing girly things, she figured that she should get a jump start on her homework.

Seamus hadn't even come to breakfast that morning, which Hermione found strange. Perhaps he'd overslept, she thought.

Of course, Seamus hadn't overslept. He'd spent three days planning out the perfect way to ask Hermione to the ball, and it was finally in place. He handed a folded-up note with Hermione's name on it to little Dennis Creevey, who sat patiently in the common room.

"Now, when 'Mione comes in, give tha' note to 'er, an' don' tell 'er it's from me," he instructed, and the younger boy nodded diligently.

Seamus grinned, patted Dennis on the back, and disappeared into his dormitory.

Hermione made her way to Gryffindor tower; she needed to grab her bag that held her quills and parchment so that she could head off to the library.

When she entered the common room, though, she found herself accosted by Dennis Creevey.

"Hermione, Hermione Granger!" he called, leaping from his seat and hurrying over to her. He was waving something in her face, but she couldn't quite tell what it was.

"Dennis!" she cried. "Will you please calm down and tell me whatever it is you need to tell me?"

Dennis stilled and grinned, holding out the note to her. "This is for you," he informed her, his eyes glistening with excitement.

Hermione smiled and took the note from him; probably something sweet from Seamus, or so she hoped.

When she opened the note, though, she was disappointed.

"The Encyclopedia of Bat Eyes, page 185, paragraph 3, word 29," was written on the square of parchment in very neat handwriting.

Hermione frowned. What on earth could this possibly mean? Still, she knew that sitting and thinking about it wasn't going to get her an answer. She had to go and look it up. Quickly, she hurried up to her dormitory and got her bag, and then headed down to the library.

Upon entering the library, Hermione located the book that was written on the square of parchment. She pulled it off of the shelf and flipped to the correct page, counting paragraphs and words until she found the correct one. Tucked in the page was another square of parchment.

The word was "will," and Hermione pulled out a quill and wrote the word on the first square of parchment, which she folded and tucked into her pocket. She opened the next note.

"Hairy Snout, Human Heart, page 3, paragraph 2, word 6."

Hermione grinned; this was going to be fun.

She found the book that she was looking for, and wrote it on the parchment square. "You."

"Practical Household Magic, page 70, paragraph 1, word 17."

Hermione located the book. "Go."

"Which Broomstick?, page 291, paragraph 5, word 24."

Hermione couldn't help the grin on her face as she went through the library, locating each book and finding the word. She finally got to the last book, but it wasn't on the shelf. Hermione frowned; she was so close! Once she located the last word she could lay them all out and figure out what the message was. She'd been concentrating so hard on finding the books that she hadn't been paying much attention to the actual words.

Sulkily, Hermione approached the desk where Madam Pince sat. "Madam Pince," she called softly. "I can't find The Dream Oracle. Do you know where it is?"

The librarian looked in a large book. "Seamus Finnigan checked that book out yesterday," she informed the girl. Hermione grinned.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, making her way out of the library. Hermione hoped that Seamus was in the common room.

Hermione entered Gryffindor tower, hoping to find Seamus so that she could ask him to see the book. Instead, the common room was empty, but the book that she was looking for sat on the table. She grinned and flipped it to the correct page, scrawling the word on the parchment.

Hermione lay out each piece of parchment in order. She read each word out loud.

"Will… you… go… to… the… ball… with… me," she said slowly, grinning as she finished. Hermione looked up from the table to see Seamus standing before her, holding a bouquet of wildflowers.

Hermione couldn't help the smile that broke over her face as Seamus looked at her hopefully.

"Well… will ye?" Seamus finally asked, and Hermione laughed, taking the flowers out of his hand. She leaned up and kissed him softly right on the lips.

"Of course I will," she assured him, and he grinned.

"Really?" Seamus asked, and Hermione laughed again.

"Yes, Seamus, really. I'll go to the ball with you."

Seamus wrapped his arms around her and crashed his mouth against hers excitedly. He was ecstatic that she'd said yes, but they were in the common room, so he kept the kiss short. He was grinning when he pulled away, and so was she.

"I love the flowers, Seamus, thank you," she said sweetly, looking up at him through her lashes. Seamus kissed her forehead.

"D'you know wha' yer' gonna wear yet?" he asked curiously, and Hermione shook her head.

"Ginny and I are going to try to figure that out tomorrow night, but I'll let you know what color I'm wearing just as soon as I know." Hermione smiled; he'd asked her to the ball in the most amazing way, and she was really glad that they were going together. "I really do have to do some homework, though, so I'll see you later?"

Seamus nodded, dipping his head to kiss her gently. "See ye later, 'Mione."

Hermione tossed one more grin over her shoulder as she exited the common room, headed back to the library with her flowers in her hand.


End file.
